BOSTON — A new study released Thursday by mobile engagement provider Mobiquity has found that while 70% of people use mobile apps on a daily basis to track calorie intake and monitor physical activities, only 40% share data and insights with their doctors. And as many as 55% of today’s mobile health app users also plan to introduce wearable devices like pedometers, wristbands and smartwatches to their health monitoring in coming years.

Working with an independent research firm, Mobiquity’s "Get Mobile, Get Healthy: the Appification of Health & Fitness" study reveals the opportunity for healthcare professionals and organizations to leverage mobile to drive positive behavior change and healthier patient outcomes. As many as 34% of mobile health and fitness app users said they would increase their use of apps if their doctors actively recommended it.

"Our study shows there’s a huge opportunity for medical professionals, pharmaceutical companies and health organizations to use mobile to drive positive behavior change and, as a result, better patient outcomes," stated Scott Snyder, president and chief strategy officer at Mobiquity. "The gap will be closed by those who design mobile health solutions that are indispensable and laser-focused on users’ goals, and that carefully balance data collection with user control and privacy."

According to Mobiquity’s research, 73% of people claim to be healthier by using a smartphone and apps to track their health and fitness. Approximately 53% discovered they were eating more calories than they realized. And 63% intend to continue, even increase, their mobile health tracking in the next five years.

For many, using a smartphone to track their health and fitness is more important to them than using their phone for social networking (69%), mobile shopping (68%), listening to music (60%) and making/receiving phone calls (30%).

Mobiquity commissioned independent research firm Research Now to survey 1,000 consumers who use, or plan to use, health and fitness mobile apps. The study was conducted between March 5-11, 2014.

NEW YORK — Supergoop!, which makes multi-functional sun care formulas, has teamed up with entrepreneur and international tennis star Maria Sharapova, welcoming her to the Supergoop! team as a co-owner with founder and CEO Holly Thaggard.

Supergoop is a multi-functional skin care line that has a foundation in UV protection and is 100% dedication to sun safety. This partnership will be a vehicle for Supergoop! to spotlight the brand’s mission to elevate skin cancer awareness alongside the many skin care and beauty benefits attributed to applying UV protection every single day.

Together, Sharapova and Thaggard aim to spread the sun-safety message and become the leading voices in educating the global community to realize the benefits of incorporating sun protection into their daily routine.

“I’m thrilled to be partnering with a company like Supergoop!,” stated Sharapova. “As an avid user of Supergoop! daily, for a number of years, I was drawn to not only the quality of the product but also the opportunity to educate people around the world about the importance of practicing safe sun habits every day.”

Through a multidimensional campaign that focuses on engaging activations year round, not just during the traditional sun months, Supergoop! and Sharapova will challenge consumers to think past “sunscreen” and seasonal use of sun protection and instead see it as an essential start to a healthy life habit. Sharapova will be the ambassador spreading the word as to the benefits of practicing safe sun habits with people across the globe and will connect with fans and consumers through social media and select retail activations.

Supergoop! has achieved an average annual triple digit growth since its launch at retail in 2007 and is already on trend to realize this benchmark in 2014, the company stated. Found in such outlets as such as Sephora, Nordstrom, Birchbox, QVC and Supergoop.com, the brand plans to further strengthen its domestic distribution and expand internationally while elevating the importance of UV protection on a global scale within the next five years.

“Skin cancer is diagnosed more frequently than all of the leading cancers combined. One-in-5 Americans will be diagnosed with it in their lifetime, and yet through a simple act, it’s primarily preventable. And, not only does the use of daily UV protection help safeguard against this life threatening illness, but it’s also proven to be a key weapon in the fight against the signs of skin aging. To date, there has not been a broad reaching voice for UV education and we’ve finally found our megaphone in Maria,” stated Thaggard. “She is the ideal choice to own and champion this position and we value her as our ambassador of ‘sun care as skin care’.”

WSJ: P&G set to launch new Gillette razor that pivots

CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble is reportedly preparing to launch a new men’s razor that features a swiveling ball-hinge so the blade can pivot, according to The Wall Street Journal.

According to marketing documents obtained by the WSJ, the new ProGlide FlexBall will be sold in both manual and battery-powered versions for a suggested retail price of $11.49 and $12.59 with one ProGlide cartridge.

Backed by a $200 million marketing effort, the new FlexBall is reportedly slated to start shipping on June 9. According to the WSJ article, P&G is targeting $188 million in sales for the first year.

A P&G spokeswoman reportedly declined the WSJ’s request for comment, but the company did state that more information would be revealed at an April 29th launch event in New York.

RELATED NEWS

Sam’s Club senior vice president and GMM of consumable and health and wellness will be retiring at the end of the fiscal year, a Sam’s Club spokesperson confirmed Wednesday. Turner-Mitchael is a 26-year veteran of the company, having joined Walmart in 1992 as a pharmacist in Lubbock, Texas.

Grocery retailer and wholesaler Supervalu has shared the results from its fiscal 2018 third-quarter, which included a boon to its wholesale business in the form of its Unified Grocers acquisition, even as retail sales declined. The Minneapolis-based company’s total continuing operations saw net sales of $3.94 billion — up 31% from $3 billion in the same period last year.

RLA Collective, an OTC/healthcare-focused integrated marketing agency, made the 2018 Innovation SABRE Awards shortlist for three programs in digital/marketing: “Best in Digital Marketing/Advertising” for an integrated media campaign with Vetoquinol U.S.A; “Best Use of Video Networks” utilizing Facebook LIVE to showcase pet care advice from Tomlyn's resident veterinarians; and “Best in Brand Narratives” for a unique video testimonial influencer campaign, “VSL#3: The Journey Back," (featured above) the company announced last week.

Petrics, a pet health technology company, is looking to make tracking weight, activity levels and rest periods a whole lot easier for pet owners. By launching the Smart Pet Bed, Activity Tracker, pet Health and Nutrition App, the Las Vegas-based company is aiming to help those four-legged family members achieve optimal weight ranges.

Forgotten Password

Registration complete

REGISTER

USERNAME *

Spaces are allowed; punctuation is not allowed except for periods, hyphens, and underscores.

E-MAIL ADDRESS *

A valid e-mail address. All e-mails from the system will be sent to this address. The e-mail address is not made public and will only be used if you wish to receive a new password or wish to receive certain news or notifications by e-mail.

Password *

Confirm Password *

Please choose a password for your account; it must be 8 - 30 characters. .

First Name *

Last Name *

Company Name *

Job Title *

ZIP *

Are you a *

Retailer or Healthcare professional

Non-Retailer

How many stores do you operate?: *

Which best describes the business/industry you work in?: *

Which best describes your job title?: *

Please select the newsletters you would like to subscribe to

DSN A.M.
Daily news stories covering the retail drug industry

Breaking News
First-to-the-market with developing stories in the industry